Cubs Get Kyle Tucker from Astros for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, Cam Smith

I’m late to the party on this one because I was in a tattoo chair when the news broke, and now I’ll have to truncate it because I have to head out again. But that’s okay since you probably already know all the pertinent information. I’ll have more this evening breaking down some finer points of the deal and how Kyle Tucker makes so much sense for the Cubs whether it’s for one year or many more in the future.

Just for the sake of posterity, the Cubs and Astros agreed Friday afternoon on a trade that sends Tucker to Chicago in exchange for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and Cam Smith. The latter is really the only one people may be upset about because the No. 14 overall draft pick tore it up over 32 games in the minors, reaching Double-A in a hurry on the strength of a .323 average and seven home runs in A-ball. But here’s the thing: He’s still just a prospect even if he’s No. 7 in the org and No. 73 overall.

If you feel like clutching your pearls over Smith’s inclusion in the deal, especially if Tucker is merely a rental, I may have a way to ease your mind. Remember when Brennen Davis was the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect? How about Brailyn Márquez? In hindsight, the Cubs would have gotten more value by packaging both of them for literally any player who put up as much as 0.1 WAR in the majors.

That’s clearly an unrealistic way to look at things, but the point is that prospects are the furthest thing from a guarantee and Smith may not even reach the bigs. Tucker, on the other hand, is a proven hitter who’s better than anyone the Cubs have had in years. As I noted earlier, his 143 wRC+ over the last five years is higher than any Cubs hitter has had in an individual season since 2020. That factoid continues to melt my brain every time I think about it.

One other note before I bounce: I fully expect Cody Bellinger to be traded to the Yankees before the weekend is up. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it’s done by Friday night. Be sure to check back for more on Tucker.